A food pantry in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is facing significant backlash after claiming that the available “resources” were only for “Black & Indigenous” people and asking white people to “refrain from taking anything.”
According to Alpha News, Mykela “Keiko” Jackson used Minnesota’s Paths to Black Health Grant to launch the Food Trap Project Bodega at Sanctuary Covenant Church, providing a free food pantry for local residents. However, a picture from the food pantry shows a sign that states, “The resources found in here are intended for Black & Indigenous Folx. Please refrain from taking anything if you’re not.”
Alpha News reported that Jackson’s alleged discrimination against white people caused the food pantry to relocate to another location after the Sanctuary Covenant Church was notified of the situation.
In a statement to Alpha News, local chaplain Howard Dotson claimed that he was denied entry to the food pantry because he was white.
“This is not building community, it’s destroying it,” Dotson said. “I went over there and confronted her. I told her that I saw the sign and I asked if she really thought she could take grant money from the state and discriminate against poor white people.”
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According to Alpha News, Dotson filed a complaint against Jackson’s food pantry, prompting Jackson to argue that the complaint stemmed from the chaplain’s “white privilege.” Jackson added, “There was no one there directly turning them away. They felt entitled to the resources that were not for their demographic – white privilege is real.”
In a post on Instagram, the Food Trap Project Bodega confirmed that it was “currently closed” while preparing for a relocation to Za’Rah Wellness.” In a statement obtained by The Post Millennial, Jackson explained, “Although the church likes our concept they feel our commitment towards directing these resources towards Black & Indigenous families ONLY is exclusionary to other POC & White members of the community that use their establishment.”
The Post Millennial reported that Jackson also attempted to justify the reason behind the food pantry’s exclusion of white people, saying, “White neighborhoods have an average of four times as many supermarkets as predominantly Black communities.”
Following backlash against Jackson’s food pantry, the Sanctuary Covenant Church told Alpha News that Jackson’s food pantry policies “did not align with the vision and mission of the Sanctuary.”
The church said, “When Mykela Jackson approached us to set up her Food Trap Project we were excited to support her. This would be a place accessible to anyone 24./7. No demographic [information] necessary. Anyone in need would be welcome.”
